Transformed by parenthood: fiery Lady Eli is now a gentle, nurturing mother

The transformation reached a critical stage when Lady Eli, the champion mare who heroically returned to Grade 1 glory after battling back from an attack of laminitis that could have killed her, lay down in her deeply bedded stall to give birth to her first foal on March 21.

Hill ‘n’ Dale owner John Sikura and farm manager John Rasmussen already had been experiencing waves of anxiety about this moment. As Rasmussen succinctly noted, “It’s always life and death when you have a foaling — it can only go one of two ways.”

With Lady Eli, who had been purchased by Sikura on a $4.2 million bid at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, there were additional layers of concern assuming that both she and her foal made it through the crucial juncture of birth.

How would this fiery mare — nearly as well known for the orange traffic cones positioned at her racetrack stall warning passersby of her saber-sharp teeth as she was for wicked bursts of speed that propelled her to five G1 triumphs — take to motherhood?

The foal boldly scampers in ever-widening circles, cajoling her to keep up as she shakes her head and strides after him, dutifully intent on keeping her young one in line. Photo: Michele MacDonaldLady Eli has “really done everything you could ask of a maiden foaling mare as far as accepting the foal and taking care of the foal and teaching him how to behave,” says John Rasmussen. “And the experience has mellowed her.” Photo: Michele MacDonaldScene-stealer: “He bounces around and acts like a little man, like a kid at private school waiting for the chauffeur to show up,” says John Sikura. Photo: Michele MacDonald

Transformed by parenthood: fiery Lady Eli is now a gentle, nurturing mother

The transformation reached a critical stage when Lady Eli, the champion mare who heroically returned to Grade 1 glory after battling back from an attack of laminitis that could have killed her, lay down in her deeply bedded stall to give birth to her first foal on March 21.

Hill ‘n’ Dale owner John Sikura and farm manager John Rasmussen already had been experiencing waves of anxiety about this moment. As Rasmussen succinctly noted, “It’s always life and death when you have a foaling — it can only go one of two ways.”

With Lady Eli, who had been purchased by Sikura on a $4.2 million bid at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, there were additional layers of concern assuming that both she and her foal made it through the crucial juncture of birth.

How would this fiery mare — nearly as well known for the orange traffic cones positioned at her racetrack stall warning passersby of her saber-sharp teeth as she was for wicked bursts of speed that propelled her to five G1 triumphs — take to motherhood?

The foal boldly scampers in ever-widening circles, cajoling her to keep up as she shakes her head and strides after him, dutifully intent on keeping her young one in line. Photo: Michele MacDonaldLady Eli has “really done everything you could ask of a maiden foaling mare as far as accepting the foal and taking care of the foal and teaching him how to behave,” says John Rasmussen. “And the experience has mellowed her.” Photo: Michele MacDonaldScene-stealer: “He bounces around and acts like a little man, like a kid at private school waiting for the chauffeur to show up,” says John Sikura. Photo: Michele MacDonald

Transformed by parenthood: fiery Lady Eli is now a gentle, nurturing mother

The transformation reached a critical stage when Lady Eli, the champion mare who heroically returned to Grade 1 glory after battling back from an attack of laminitis that could have killed her, lay down in her deeply bedded stall to give birth to her first foal on March 21.

Hill ‘n’ Dale owner John Sikura and farm manager John Rasmussen already had been experiencing waves of anxiety about this moment. As Rasmussen succinctly noted, “It’s always life and death when you have a foaling — it can only go one of two ways.”

With Lady Eli, who had been purchased by Sikura on a $4.2 million bid at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, there were additional layers of concern assuming that both she and her foal made it through the crucial juncture of birth.

How would this fiery mare — nearly as well known for the orange traffic cones positioned at her racetrack stall warning passersby of her saber-sharp teeth as she was for wicked bursts of speed that propelled her to five G1 triumphs — take to motherhood?

Legs anyone? Dialed In x Lilies So Fair (Giant's Causeway) filly born last night, weighed in at 150lbs this morning. She is the granddaughter of Wildwood Flower, the mum of My Miss Sophia & Materiality.

Legs anyone? Dialed In x Lilies So Fair (Giant's Causeway) filly born last night, weighed in at 150lbs this morning. She is the granddaughter of Wildwood Flower, the mum of My Miss Sophia & Materiality.

A few Summer Bird mares had their foals this year (a few haven't foaled as yet or aborted) - Also note that I MAY accidentally double added the same mares in this list, so please forgive me if I already added them in!

Mares that didn't have foals for 2019:
Reggae Woman (JPN) (was in-foal for 2019 but reported not to have foaled)
Summer Blues (residing in Ireland or Britain)
Bossy Bird (no report on her (more likely took a break after mare lost her 2018 foal))
Dynamic Summer (unknown on her)

Last edited by AKTA44 on Fri May 17, 2019 7:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Silver Colors, the final Foal Patrol mare, had her Tapit colt this morning, three weeks early:

Silver Colors delivered a colt at Gainesway Farm early this morning, Sunday, April 28th. With the delivery being three weeks early, the farm staff had some concerns during the birth. In order to ensure everyone was healthy and safe, they turned off the cameras last night. Mom and foal needed some time to recover, but they are both doing pretty well now.
Neil Howard, General Manager shared that following the foaling, the colt was found to have a couple broken ribs. They will restrict the foal's turnout to the stall for the next two weeks to allow the ribs to heal. The colt will be checked and examined later on to confirm the ribs are healing well.
Silver Colors19 is settling in well to life at the farm and the Gainesway farm staff will continue to keep a close eye on him

Craig Bernick @Craig_Bernick
8h8 hours ago
Baby #14 is a filly, a 7th generation GHF homebred Curlin/Broken Dreams. Broken Dreams won the G3 Senator Ken Maddy twice, and is the dam of G2 winner Caribou Club. 4th dam of this filly is our BC Distaff winner One Dreamer. Broken Dreams will be bred to Quality Road.
Craig Bernick @Craig_Bernick
7h7 hours ago
Actually One Dreamer is 3rd dam of this new filly. Second pic is of her 6th dam, with a young @TProctorRacing in the winners circle. Glad to have another filly out of Broken Dreams to hopefully keep it going.